Bookholder



Dec. 31, 1940. w v JOHNSON 2,226,773

BOOKHOLDER Filed March 11, 1939 Patented Dec. 31, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BOOKHOLDER William V. Johnson, Washington, D. 0.

Application March 11, 1939, Serial No. 261,261

4 Claims. (C1. 45-57) This invention relates to a bookholder, and it is an object of the invention to provide a device of this kind which can be readily applied to a book for supporting the same in a position for reading and wherein the device is also provided With means for coaction with the leaves of the book to which it is applied for holding the leaves against such turning movement which would interfere with the reader.

10 The invention consists in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts of my improved bookholder whereby certain important advantages are attained and the device rendered simpler,

5' less expensive and otherwise more convenient and advantageous for use, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

The novel features of my invention will hereinafter be definitely claimed.

20 In order that my invention may be the better understood, I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein- Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of an open book having applied thereto bookholders constructed in accordance with an embodiment of my invention;

Figure 2 is a view in rear elevation of the structure as comprised in Figure 1;

30 Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view partly in section and partly in elevation illustrating the mounting for a leaf holding rod as herein com- 35 prised.

In practice it is preferred that two of my devices be employed in connection with a single book with one of the devices applied to the front cover and the other to the back cover.

4 My improved device as herein disclosed comprises a member M to engage a cover of a book and said member M comprises an elongated U- shaped clip, the side arms I of which are relatively long and wide and which arms straddle the cover 2 of a book from below and have close frictional contact with the opposite faces thereof. One of the arms I of the member M (which may be termed the outer arm) is provided at its 50 free end portion with a transverse sleeve 3 through which is freely disposed an arm 4 carried by an end portion of a leg 5,

The outer or free end portion of the arm A is provided with the laterally disposed lug 6 for 5 contact with a shoulder I at the adjacent end arm I with which the leg 5 is operatively en- 10 gaged. The outer or free end portion of the leg 5 is provided with a foot 8 herein disclosed as spherical in form so that the liability of marring the surface with which the leg engages is substantially eliminated.

Extending outwardly from the lower corner of the member M at the same side as the arm 4 is a short leg 9 provided with a foot I0 also herein disclosed as spherical. This short leg 9, or more particularly the foot I 0 thereof, is intended for 2Q contact with the surface upon which it is desired to support a book for reading.

The side arm I of the member M provided with the transverse sleeve 3 is also provided at its lower portion and at a point substantially above 2 the leg 9 with the longitudinally disposed sleeve II in which is received a pintle arm I2 carried by an end portion of an elongated rod I4. The pintle arm I2, as herein disclosed, is surrounded by a coil spring I5 with one end portion of said spring, as at I6, connected to the adjacent side arm I and its opposite end portion attached, as at I8, to the inner portion of the arm I2. This spring operates to urge the rod I4 outwardly.

The rod I4 is of desired length and the outer end thereof is continued by an upstanding short arm IS, the free end portion of which carries a head 20 substantially spherical in form. This head 20 is maintained in contact with an outer page of an open book under the action of the spring I5 to hold the pages against such turning movement which would interfere with the reader. When the open book is being held by the reader the leg 5 can be readily swung inwardly to a position closely adjacent to the book so that the same will be out of the way.

The sleeve II is carried by a plate 2| which is pivotally connected, as at 22, with the associated side arm I of the member M so that proper manipulation of the rod I4 may be had to allow for the proper engagement of the head 20 with the leaves of the book and, of course, to facilitate the removal of the device as a whole from the book. The pivotal mounting 22 for the plate 2| also allows the plate to be swung into a position to bring the rod M to a position closely adjacent to and extending lengthwise of the adjacent arm I of the member M with the short arm I!) overlying said side arm I. This allows the holder to be compacted when not in use.

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that a book holder constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly Well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some change and modification without departing from the principles and spirit thereof and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim: I

1. A bookholder comprising a cover engaging member substantially U-shaped in form and adapted to straddle a marginal portion of a book cover and frictionally contact the opposed faces thereof, a leg pivotally engaged with the free end portion of one of the side arms of the member, means for limiting the outward swinging movement of said leg, and a leaf holding member pivotally engaged 'with the lower portion of the side arm of the cover engaging member with which the leg is pivotally engaged.

2. A bookholder comprising a cover engaging member substantially U-shapecl in form and adapted to straddle a marginal portion of a book cover and frictionally contact the opposed faces thereof, a leg pivotally engaged with the free end portion of one of the side arms of the member, means for limiting the outward swinging movement of said leg, a leaf holding member pivotally engaged with the lower portion of the side arm of the cover engaging member with which the leg is pivotally engaged, and a second supporting leg carried by the lower portion of the member to maintain the leaf holding member free of contact with the surface upon which the book may be propped by the leg.

3. A device of the character described comprising a U-shaped member adapted to straddle a marginal portion of a book cover, a plate pivotally connected with a side arm of the U-shaped member, an elongated rod having one end portion pivotally engaged with said plate, a laterally disposed short arm carried by the opposite end portion of the rod for holding engagement with a leaf of an open book, and means for urging said rod in a direction to contact the short arm with the outer leaf of pages at one side of the open book, the pivoted plate providing means to allow the short arm to be moved into or out of leaf engaging position and also to allow the elongated rod to be swung into a position lengthwise of and in close proximity to the member with the short arm overlying the arm of the member with which the plate is pivotally engaged.

4. A device of the character described comprising a U-shaped member adapted to straddle a marginal portion of a book cover, a supporting leg operatively engaged with the free end portion of one of the side arms of the member, a plate pivotally connected with a side arm of the U-shaped member, an elongated rod having one end portion pivotally engaged with said plate, a laterally disposed short arm carried by the opposite end portion of the rod for holding engagement with a leaf of an open book, and means for urging said rod in a direction to contact the short arm with the outer leaf of pages at one side of the open book, the pivoted plate providing means to allow the short arm to be moved into or out of leaf engaging position and also to allow the elongated rod to be swung into a position lengthwise of and in close proximity to the member with the short arm overlying the arm of the member with which the plate is pivotally engaged.

WILLIAM V. JOHNSON. 

